06-03-2009, 09:48 PM
I hope I'm not repeating material that someone else already brought up, but here is a passage about Alexander's campaign against the Getae from Arrian's Anabasis that is relevant to this discussion:
"Crossing the river Nestus, they say he reached Mount Hsemus on the tenth day. And there met him here, along the defiles as he ascended the mountain, masses of well-armed traders, as well as bands of free Thracians, who had made preparations to check the further advance of the army by occupying the summit of the Hsemus, where the troops had to pass. They had collected together their wagons and placed them in their front, not only using them as a rampart from which they might defend themselves, if hard pressed, but also intending to let them loose, where the mountain was precipitous, upon the phalanx of the Macedonians in its ascent. . . . But Alexander conceived a plan for crossing the mountain with the minimum of danger, and being resolved to take all risks, knowing there was no other possible route, he commanded the heavy-armed soldiers, whenever the wagons came rolling down the slopes, to open ranks so far as the width of the road permitted, and let the wagons run by; but if they were hemmed on either side, to huddle down in a mass and lock their shields compactly together, so that the wagons by their very impetus should leap over them and pass on without doing hurt. And it turned out just as Alexander had conjectured and commanded. . . . The wagons rolled on over the shields without doing much injury. Indeed, not a single man was killed under them. Then the Macedonians, regaining their courage, inasmuch as the wagons, which they had greatly dreaded, inflicted no damage upon them, charged with a shout against the enemy."
It would seem that if this story is true, the shields would have to be quite large in order for wagons to roll over the top of them.
"Crossing the river Nestus, they say he reached Mount Hsemus on the tenth day. And there met him here, along the defiles as he ascended the mountain, masses of well-armed traders, as well as bands of free Thracians, who had made preparations to check the further advance of the army by occupying the summit of the Hsemus, where the troops had to pass. They had collected together their wagons and placed them in their front, not only using them as a rampart from which they might defend themselves, if hard pressed, but also intending to let them loose, where the mountain was precipitous, upon the phalanx of the Macedonians in its ascent. . . . But Alexander conceived a plan for crossing the mountain with the minimum of danger, and being resolved to take all risks, knowing there was no other possible route, he commanded the heavy-armed soldiers, whenever the wagons came rolling down the slopes, to open ranks so far as the width of the road permitted, and let the wagons run by; but if they were hemmed on either side, to huddle down in a mass and lock their shields compactly together, so that the wagons by their very impetus should leap over them and pass on without doing hurt. And it turned out just as Alexander had conjectured and commanded. . . . The wagons rolled on over the shields without doing much injury. Indeed, not a single man was killed under them. Then the Macedonians, regaining their courage, inasmuch as the wagons, which they had greatly dreaded, inflicted no damage upon them, charged with a shout against the enemy."
It would seem that if this story is true, the shields would have to be quite large in order for wagons to roll over the top of them.
